Shanghai sets agenda for digital transformation

Shanghai has outlined its plan for digital transformation, aiming to become a global capital for digitization by 2035, Economic Daily reported.

According to a document published by the Shanghai government in early January, Shanghai's digital transformation will obtain remarkable achievements by 2025 and a basic framework for a global capital for digitization will be built; by 2035, the city will become a digital capital with global influence.

Economic digitization forms a new supply, life digitization meets new demand and governance digitization optimizes a new environment, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said, adding digital transformation will invigorate the city's vitality.

In recent years, Shanghai achieved remarkable results in online new economy, with the digital economy accounting for more than 50 percent of GDP. According to the document, the city will stick to integrated transformation and promote digital transformation in the economy, life and governance.

In terms of economic digitization, Shanghai will speed up the construction of world-class digital industrial clusters in integrated circuits and artificial intelligence, and put in efforts to build the city into a key hub in the global digital economic network.

New infrastructure is one of the most important foundations of economic digitization. Last year, Shanghai unveiled 48 key projects in new infrastructure, with total investment of 270 billion yuan ($41.69 billion).

With a focus on production and manufacturing, commerce and trade circulation, scientific research and development and financial innovation, Shanghai will promote digital transformation in the economic field, further strengthen the development of industrial internet and build 100 smart factories, said Zhang Ying, deputy director of the Shanghai Economic and Information Commission.

In terms of life digitization, Shanghai will find application scenarios for digital transformation, guide market entities to participate in digital transformation and create an inclusive "new vision" for digital life.

For instance, the city will build a digital education resource pool, improve services for internet hospitals, telemedicine and smart elderly care, promote the upgrading of museums, art galleries and tourist attractions and help seniors and the physically disabled overcome the digital divide to realize inclusive digital transformation.

In terms of governance digitization, Shanghai will build digital governance and a new paradigm for megacities while enhancing efficiency. At present, the Government Online-Offline Shanghai, a one-stop online-offline public services platform launched by the city, handles 120,000 applications on average every day, with an online processing ratio of 50 percent.